FDA To Establish a List of US Milk Product Manufacturers and Processors Exporting To China

The FDA is establishing a list of U.S. milk product manufacturers and processors interested in exporting to China to help U.S. manufacturers comply with the new requirements of the Chinese government.

FDA is taking this action in response to the issuance of Decree 145, otherwise known as Administrative Measures for Registration of Overseas Manufacturers, by the State General Administration of the People’s Republic of China for Quality Supervision and Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

The AQSIQ Decree 145 , among other requirements, mandates that foreign competent authorities including FDA provide the Certification and Accreditation Administration of China (CNCA) with a “name list of overseas manufacturers of imported food applying for registration” with CNCA for commodities that CNCA has deemed to require registration which includes milk products.

Applying for inclusion on the list in voluntary, but products manufactured by firms not on the list could be prevented from entering commerce in China.

The List of U.S. Milk Product Manufacturers/Processors with Interest in Exporting to China established by FDA will be posted on FDA’s website and shared with China’s CNCA. FDA intends to contact the U.S. firms that are on the list every two years to verify that the information they have provided to FDA is still valid and will report this updated list to China on a quarterly basis. The first posting of the list on the FDA website and notification to China is expected to be around April 30, 2014.

The United States Dairy Export Council (USDEC), who represents the global trade interests of US dairy stakeholders has been working with FDA since April 2012 to create a process that would be realively easy and not disrupt trade . According to USDEC vice president of communications, Alan Levitt, the new FDA list shouldn’t have any impact on trade. Levitt has stated in order to continue shipping to China, US dairies simply need to be on the list by May 1, 2014.